one thousand gifts

a remarkable book by a remarkable woman.

it has been a week since amazon sent me a shipment notification. tracking my package tells me it should arrive tomorrow. it is so hard to wait for this book to arrive! but the truth is, i didn't wait. i've already read it on my kindle. even so, i want to hold it in my hand; to turn the pages; underline those poignant words; put a sticky note on a page to come back to. i ordered multiple copies to share with a list of friends. but i am going to have to order more. you see, i want to share this book with everyone i know!

i've been reading ann voskamp's blog, aholyexperience, for some time now. her candid look at faith and life has challenged me in so many ways. her words have brought me to tears on many occasions and caused me to look within and think things through in a new way. my own blog reflects her influence as i note at the bottom of each post the gifts i find in my own life. i have found God's blessings in so many ordinary things. ordinary, but holy when you see God's love shining through them.

but ann's message is more than just "looking on the bright side" or just "being thankful". her message is one of faith, joy, and trust in a God who is in every part of our life, including the difficulties. but i really can not summarize her message. you simply must read it.

everyday gift: heart changing words

classics of faith ~ reading list

thank you to all who have answered my request for your favorite books which have influenced your faith! in the months to come i hope to work my way through many of these. i will be revisiting this post to update my progress. feel free to leave a comment adding your book suggestions!


The Pursuit of Holiness by jerry bridges
The Hiding Place by corrie ten boom
31 Days of Praise by ruth meyers (prayer; devotional)
Safely Home by randy alcorn (fiction)
Pilgram's Progress by john bunyan
The Imitation of Christ by thomas a kempis

recommended by mom:
Yet Will I Trust Him by peg rankin

recommended by marci:
A Chance to Die by elisabeth elliot (biography)
Stepping Heavenward by elizabeth prentiss

recommended by amy:
Mere Christianity by c.s. lewis

recommended by chris:
Hind's Feet on High Places by hannah hurnard (allegory)
Knowing God by j.i. packer

recommended by leslie:
Something More by catherine marshall
Believing God by beth moore
Israel, My Beloved by kay arthur (historical)
Destined for the Throne by paul e. billheimer
The Sacred Romance (and others) by john eldridge
Rees Howells, Intercessor by norman gruff (biography)
End of the Spear by steve saint (biography)
Secrets of the Vine by bruce wilkinson
My Utmost for His Highest by oswald chambers (devotional)

recommended by karla:
The Pursuit of God by a.w. tozer

recommended by barb:
If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat by john ortberg

recommended by ann @ holyexperience:
Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places by l.l. barkat

recommended by the girls @ fiveinarow:
The Shack by
The Ragamuffin Gospel by brennon manning
Desiring God (and others) by john piper
Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by stacy mcdonald
anything by philip yancey
fiction books by isabella alden
The Practice of Godliness by jerry bridges
Becoming a woman of Prayer by cynthia heald
A Lineage of Grace series by francine rivers

got fruit?

in answer to my request for the books that have influenced your faith, leslie emailed a wonderful list to me! on the list was a book which i bought awhile ago, but it somehow ended up on the bookshelf unread. the book is Secrets of the Vine by bruce wilkinson. i read the little book in one sitting this morning and it gave me a lot to think about as i weeded my garden. it was quite fitting today as my black raspberries are bursting and almost ripe.

the book is based on John 15, Jesus' teaching about the vine and branches and bearing fruit.

as i weeded my garden i considered whether my life was bearing fruit. what fruit does God want to bring forth in my life? what does God need to prune away in my life in order to bring about more fruit? am i hindering His efforts? so i am prayerfully approaching these questions...

and i am trying to be patient as i wait for my black raspberries.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:5, 8

classics of faith

over the past few months i have been indulging myself in some great fiction books, mostly pleasure reading. i love a good story written with beautiful words that reveal an aspect of the human heart or challenges of living life. but i have felt convicted to read more of God's Word and focus more on my spiritual growth. i have pulled some christian classics off my shelf and i am revisiting some books that were very influential in my young adult life, as i grappled with faith and life. Mere Christianity by c.s. lewis, The Pursuit of Holiness by jerry bridges, and The Hiding Place by corrie ten boom to name a few.

will you share with me the books that have caused you to grow in your walk with Christ? aside from the most important Book, what has influenced your faith?